Locomotive-stoking mechanism



May 21, 1929. D. T. WILLIAMS LOCOMOTIVE STOKING MECHANISM INVENTOR, Davi3. T.Wilhomxs,

Filed Sept. '7, 1927 ATTORNEY .iatented May 21, 1929.

L itilTED STATES DAVID T. WILLIAMS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Locomorxvnsroxme MECHANISM.

Application filed September 7, 1927. Serial No. 217,965.

In mechanical stokers, and especially those used for delivering to the fire run-of-mine or other irregularly-sized fuel, it has been proposed to provide beside the course 1n which the fuel is advanced by the propelling means of the stoker an abutment which coacts with such means to reduce fuel fragments exceeding a given size to or below that size. Frequently there come mixed with the fuel various foreign bodies, such as metal hooks, chains, fragments of mine-car wheels, coal-picks and other mine paraphernalla, which cannot thus be reduced in the stoker and which consequently cause a jam, When such a jam occurs the fireman (who may quite naturally assume it is due to an unusu ally refractory lump of coal) is likely to resort to force to break the jam, as by reversing the engine which drives the propelling means .and then causing it to drive forward agaimusually applying excessive force in this way and repeating the operation a number of times. In consequence, it fre quently happens that the strain imposed results in breakage or bending of some part of the stoker mechanism,-thus crippling the stoker if not rendering it wholly inoperative. This of course is the result of the sudden shock imposed when the"'propelling means, as stated being usually at such times driven forward under excessive force, meets with the quite positive resistance opposed by the abutment and intervening non-yielding foreign body.

The object of this invention is to make provision whereby the stoker will absorb the shock gradually and injury thereto will be thus avoided. To this end I resort to elastic means to support one of the elements afforded by the propelling means and abutment against the force opposed thereto by the other, in the example herein shown and described, and as preferred, applying such elastic means to the abutment.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of sufiicient of a mechanical locomotive stoker embodying the invention to illustrate the latter; a

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a plan of the abutment ele ment.

A supporting structure for the propelling and abutment element is in the illustrated example afforded by the tender 1 of a locomotive, and suitably supported therein is the rear section 2 other (and tubular) section is shown at 3, reaching forward to 'the locomotive '4 and having a universal-joint connection 5 with the section 2; the section 2 is mainly open at the top, or trough-shaped, so as to receive the superjacentfuel in the bunker, (not shown) of the tender, but at its forward or Joint end portion 2* it is cross-sectionally contlnuous and contains an annular member 6 which at 7 afiords a hearing. In the instant construction the joint-portion 2 of the section 2 is separated from the remainder thereof by a vertical wall l of the tender.

The propelling element is here a screw which is revoluble in the conduit, being journaled in part in bearing 7, and is formed of rear and forward sections 8 and 9 having a universal-joint connection 10 between them, the rear section 8 being contained in conduit section 2 and the forward section 9 in conduit section 3. Any means to rotate this.screw,' such as a steam engine (not shown) according to the usual practice, may be employed. The arrow in Fig. 1 indicates the direction in which the screw norm lly (that is, forwardly) propels the fuel.

The abutment element, as usual, is placed at that point in the length of the conduit where as soon as practicable in the forward progress of the fuel it will serve, in coaction with the propelling element, to reduce the unduly large fuel pieces to the proper size-in the example, immediately back of the part of the conduit containing the annular member 6, which is the first point in such example where fuel fragments not so reduced would be troublesome. In the present case said abutment element is a hood 11 sloping upwardly and rearwardly, over the screw, and having its underneath face curved transversely of the screw; it is mounted on a plate 12 (here fixed to wall 1*) so as to be movable up and down, as by being pivoted at its forward end on a transverse pivot 13, and it normally rests with a face 12 thereof in contact with the-wall 1 of the tender. On its working (here its underneath) face it has rearwardly projecting sharp studs 14 which assist in the reduction of the fuel fragments encountered thereby. At each side suitably rearward of its pivot or fulcrum it has bosses 12 and in coincidence with these bosses and on the outer surfaces of the (converging) sides of the conduit section 2 are other bosses of a conduit of which anp the yielding is 2. Each two bosses 12 and 2", together with the corresponding side of conduit section 2, have passing freely through them a long bolts 15 whose head seats on the boss 12*; and on this bolt is a spring 16 which seats against the boss 2", a disk 17 seated against the lower end ofsuch spring, and nuts 18 screwed on the bolt and taking against the disk.

Thus the abutment, movable as described, is movable from its normal position (resting with its surface 12 in contact with wall 1) subject to elastic resistance. Adjustment may be effected by manipulating the nuts 18, to attain that degree of such resistance which is needed in the reducing of such fuel lumps, and if any foreign body is encountered which is more refractory than are the fragments of the fuel being handled the incidental shock will not be sudden-and hence violent but will'be gradual and hence absorbed and undue strainon the stoker will be avoided. A factor in the absorbence of the shock is the fact that transversely of and hence away from the course in which the fuel is propelled, in fact, the convergence ofthe under or fuel-contact surface of the abut- V ment with respect to said course is also itself, in a measure, such a factor.

I claim:

1. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a supporting structure, means therein to convey the fuel in a definite course including a fuel-propelling element and an abutment element normally beside said course, said elements being normally held in given positions to coact with each other to exert reducing pressure on the fuel but one of them being yieldable out of its said POSlr, tion.

2. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a supportin structure, means therein to convey the fiiel in a definite course including a fuel-propelling element, and an abutment element normally beside said course, said elements being in given positions to coact with each other to exert reducing pressure on the fuel but one of them bein yieldable out of its said position and elastically held against such yielding.

3. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a supporting structure, means therein to convey the fuel in a definite course including a fuel-propelling element, and an abutment element beside said course, said elements being normally held in given positions to coact with each other to exert reducing pressure on the fuel but one of them being yieldable out of its said position and transversely of said course.

4. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a supporting structure, means therein to convey the fuel in a definite course including a fuel-propelling element and an abutment normally beside said course normally held in a given position to coact with the propelling" element to exert reducing pressure on the fuel but yieldable out of its said position.

5. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a supporting-structure, means therein to convey the fuel in a definite course including a fuel-propelling element, and an abutment normally beside said course in a given position to coact with the propelling element to exert reducing pressure on the fuel but yieldable out of its said position and elastically held against'such yielding.

6. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a supporting structure, means therein to'convey the fuel in a definite course including a fuel-propelling element, and an abutment beside said course normally held in a given position to coact with the propelling element on the fuel but yieldable out of its said position and transversely of said course.

7. In a mechanical stoker, the cornbina tion of a supporting structure, means therein to convey the fuel in a definite course to exert reducing pressure including a fuel-propelling element, and an abutment beside said course normally held I in a given position to coact with the propelling element to exert reducing pressure on the fuel but yieldable out of its said position and having a fuel-contact surface converging toward said course.

9. In a mechanical stoker, tion of a supporting structure, means therein to convey the fuel in a definite course including a fuel-propelling element, and an abutment element beside said course, said elements being normally held in given positions to coact with each other to exert reducing pressure on the fuel but one of them being yieldable out of its said position.

10. n a mechanical stoker, the combination of a supporting structure, means therein to convey the fuel in a definite course including a fuel-propelling element, and an abutment element beside said course, said elements being in given positions to coact with each other to exert reducing pressure on the fuel but one of them being yieldable out of its said position and elastically held against such yielding. V

11. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a supporting structure, means therein to convey the fuel in a definite course inthe combina- 'on the fuel but eluding a fuel-propelling element, and an abutment beside and course normally held in a given position to meet with.the pro element to exertreducing. pressure pelling yieldable' out of its said position.

12. In a mechanical stoker, the combine tion of a supporting structure, means therein to convey the fuel in a definite course-including a fuel-propelling element, and an abutment beside said course in a given position to coact with the propelling element to exert reducing pressure on the 1 fuel but yieldable out of its saidposition and elastically held against such yieldin 13. In a mechanical stoker, t e: combina-' tion of a supporting structure, means therein convey the fuel in a definite course inclllding a fuel-propelling element, I and a fuel-abutment element, 'said' elements bein 20 normally held in positions to ooact wit each other to exert reducing pressure on the fuel but one of them bein yieldable out of its said position transverse y of said course;

14. In a mechanical stoker, the combina 25 tion of a supporting structure, means'there- 1n to convey the fuel in a definite course in-- cluding a fuel-propelling element, and a elementnormallv held in pofuel-abutment sition'to coact with the propelling element to exert reducing pressure 'on the fuel but yieldable out of said position transversely of said course.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DAVID r wrLLmms. 

